Inspiration turns up in unexpected places. I wasn’t surprised when a recent Pottery Barn catalog caught my eye with photos of old-fashioned canning jars styled as keepsakes. On closer look they were antique bell jars filled with shells, sand, and even ocean water, labeled with destinations like “Mykonos” and “Fiji.” It was charming—and it made me realize I already had small mementos from nearly every trip John and I have taken together. Why keep them tucked away in a box when they could be displayed?
A quick trip to Michael’s scored six canning jars for just a few dollars, and I began filling them with our souvenirs. Our labels aren’t fancy—handwritten with a fine-point Sharpie on clear tape—but they list real places we love: San Diego, Rehoboth, Madeira Beach, Alaska, and the Outer Banks. The simplicity makes them feel personal rather than staged.
Now the jars sit lined up on a shelf in our sunroom by the back door—a spot we pass several times a day. Having those little vacation time capsules on display turns everyday moments into reminders of past adventures. I even created a Manhattan jar with tiny urban relics: our last MetroCard, a buy-ten-get-one-free hot dog punch card from our favorite hole-in-the-wall, and matching business cards from the ad agency where we met.
You don’t need sand and shells to make a meaningful jar. Small, everyday items—a ticket stub, a matchbox, a hotel key—fit perfectly into a one-dollar jar and bring back vivid memories. For our Alaskan honeymoon I tucked in a smooth rock from a hot stone massage and a tiny ceramic bear I picked up at a craft fair in Anchorage. Those little pieces capture the trip just as well as a postcard.
This simple display has already become a favorite part of the house. It’s a low-cost, low-effort way to celebrate where we’ve been and to look forward to future travels. Our modest collection may never rival a catalog photo shoot, but it’s authentic, personal, and displayed where we’ll actually see it. If our small snow-globe of memories gradually fills the three-tiered bookcase, so be it—time to start planning the next trip.